


Interlude

by Kalkasar (Mordhena)



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26658856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mordhena/pseuds/Kalkasar
Summary: A short little story, Malcolm and Trip enjoying shore leave on a planet that just happens to have something resembling Ice Cream cones.
Relationships: Malcolm Reed/Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> In canon, it is fairly well established that Malcolm Reed is afraid of water. However, in most of my stories he doesn't have that phobia.
> 
> * * *

"I like lookin' at you when you've just been swimmin'," Trip sighed and trailed a finger through Malcolm's tousled hair. "Ya look all…fluffy,"

"Fluffy am I?" Malcolm responded with a mock growl. "Of course you know I shall exact payment for that remark, from your hide…in strips."

"Sure you will..." The lazy tone was accompanied by an even lazier grin as bright blue eyes met his own. They had been lying here soaking up the sun for at least an hour after taking a swim in the sparkling ocean of an M Class planet.

Malcolm sighed, "You know what would be really nice, right now?"

"Hmm?" Trip was drowsing but still awake enough to attempt a response.

"Cornettos"

"Ice cream cones?" Trip's mouth curved in a smile. "I think I saw a kiosk back up on the road…we could go buy some."

"We could," Malcolm agreed, but neither man moved.

Enterprise had taken a short detour from exploration to give the crew some much needed and well deserved shore leave on this planet. The crew had gone ashore in shifts, and those who had remained on duty were regaled with stories of the friendly natives, the pristine beaches and many other pleasures to be enjoyed planet side.

It was the beaches that caught the attention of Trip and Malcolm. Both accomplished swimmers, the pair had planned to spend as much time as possible when their rotation came, immersed in the crystal oceans of Tidek.

"Well, come on, Mister Reed," Tucker said as he finally sat up and brushed sand off his arms and legs. "If ya want that ice cream you're gonna have to get off your lazy European 'bum' and go get it!"

"Yes, you're right, I suppose." Malcolm stumbled to his feet and brushed himself down, affording Tucker a tantalizing sight as he bent over to swipe sand away from his lower legs.

Making their way back to the road, the pair walked up to the small kiosk, peering curiously at the 'delicacies' on offer. There were jars of some kind of Viscous looking fluid, deep orange in color, and quite noxious in odor. Reed screwed up his nose and glanced at Tucker who shook his head.

Another foodstuff appeared to be some kind of fish, this was kept hot in a small brazier and smelled enticing; had they been looking for a meal, the fish may have tempted. To one side of the counter stood a small refrigerated unit, with several tubs of a substance that resembled ice cream. Tucker selected a type that he said looked a little like cherry ripple, except that the ripples were bright magenta and not red as they would be on earth.

Malcolm chose a plain, vanilla looking one and they left the shop after paying for their confections.

To the side of the kiosk was a small park, hedged in with shrubbery and furnished with one or two tables and benches. Tucker led the way to a bench that was nestled amongst the shrubbery and sat down to enjoy the ice cream which turned out to be quite sweet, and creamy. "Almost as good as the real thing," he said with a grin.

"Certainly nicer than resequenced ice cream." Reed licked his with obvious relish.

"Wanna taste?" Trip held the cone out to his partner and Reed licked experimentally. 

"Hmm, it tastes a little like plums…with a hint of citrus," he said thoughtfully. "Try mine."

Tucker leaned in to take a lick and recoiled with a yelp as the icy cold substance made sudden contact with the tip of his nose. "Hey! You did that on purpose!" He glared with affronted dignity at Reed who responded with a chuckle.

"Did I?"

"Now you know you did!" Tucker lunged at the smaller man, aiming to smear ice cream on his chin, but the armory officer was quicker and dodged out of the way, following through with a jab of ice cream to Tucker's sun-warmed belly. "Take that, scoundrel! That's for calling me *fluffy*!"

"AII! That's .. Oh no fair!" This protest coming as Reed feinted left and then dodged around to run a stripe of shiveringly cold ice cream down Tucker's spine.

"C'mon, Mister Tucker! I trained you better than _that_ , surely?"

"Oh…I see how it is…" Tucker drew himself to his full height and glared at Reed with mock hauteur. "Do I understand you to be challengin' me, sir?"

"Well, in the absence of a gauntlet…" Several quick dancing steps, a swift 'dab-dab' and both Tucker's cheeks were adorned with twin blobs of vanilla. "Consider yourself challenged, sirrah!"

"Now ya know, this means war…" Tucker advanced on his quarry, blue eyes twinkling with merriment as he looked for an opening in Reed's guard.

Reed circled around the commander, watching those expressive blue eyes carefully and keeping a healthy distance between them. "You know, you look adorable with ice cream running down you face. "He chuckled and dodged aside with a shout of surprise as Tucker lunged, landing a magenta and white splotch of chilled confection square in the middle of his chest.

"Ha! Not as fast as you thought, are ya?"

"I'll make you pay for that!" Reed's eyes glinted clear grey, shot through with flecks of darker blue. He shifted his weight, balancing himself and narrowed his eyes, ice cream at the ready as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

"Please don' hurt me," Tucker whimpered, "I'm sorry, Mister Reed, I won't do it again…Ah prom….owwwwieeee that's cold!" He found himself pinned by strong arms, grinning face mere centimeters from his own, and every nerve ending alive with shockwaves as the ice cream found its way into the back of his swimming trunks.

His own ice cream fell from slackened fingers to land on the grass with a soft 'plop' "Mal…Malcolm…aiii…ow p-p-please lemme go!"

"Do you really think I *should*?"

"Yes! Oh gawd that's really startin' to hurt…" Trip gasped, blue eyes pleading silently as he struggled in his lover's arms. "Pleeeaase!"

"Very nice," Malcolm said, then switched to a dreadful imitation of Trip's accent. "But Ah'm familiar with yer trickery, Commandah…you're goin' t'hafta do better than that."

"All right! All right, I'll do anythin'!" Tucker squirmed against Reed's body, both men gasping at the friction of bare skin on bare skin. "Tell me what I gotta do to get loose!"

"Repeat after me…Lieutenant Malcolm Reed is *not* fluffy!" A further smooshing of frozen dairy confection into already tormented skin. "I'm waiting, Commander…"

"Ah…ow! Okay! Lieutenant Malcolm Reed is *not* fluffy! Now please…lemme go!"

"Once more…with feeling…" Reed was hard pressed not to laugh and something hot began to kindle in his eyes as Tucker wriggled in further attempts to escape.

"Loooooten---owwww! Lootenent Malcolm Reed is NOT FLUFFY! Malcolm! Please!"

"Better," Reed's grip on the blond man relaxed somewhat, and he removed the now thoroughly squashed and inedible ice confection from the engineers swimming trunks. A moment later he pulled Tucker against him again and licked the traces of ice cream from his partner's face.

Tucker sighed, melting like so much ice cream himself into the Brit's embrace. "You're gonna be the death o' me one day, Lieutenant…" he sighed, tipping his head a little so that Reed's tongue could reach all of the melted, sugary concoction.

"Oh I don't know, you're fit…and you have the services of a _very_ good doctor." He switched to the other cheek, licking and smacking his lips. "I think I like the Tucker flavor best," he commented.

"Oh shit!" Tucker tensed suddenly and pushed away from Reed's ministrations.

"What's the matter?"

"Doctor…you said I have a good doctor."

"I don't…"

Reed's expression was genuinely puzzled but he broke into gales of helpless laughter a moment later as Tucker wailed: "How th' HELL am I gonna report t' Sick Bay an' tell Dr. Phlox Ah've got a frostbit' _ass_ from two days on a _beach_?"

~Fin~

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this work, please leave kudos or comments to let the author know.


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